Police arrested Conn Abraham after they spotted the exhaust pipe of his Toyota car trailing on the road and sparks flying from a rear wheel.

Magistrates in Peterlee have warned Abraham – who has four previous convictions for driving while disqualified – he could face between three and six months in prison when he returns for sentencing next month.

Abraham was told he has "a flagrant disregard for court orders" after committing the offence just three months after his most recent ban was imposed.

Prosecutor Debra Jones said: "Abraham was on his way home from a Halloween party just before midnight when he was stopped by police in Yoden Way, Peterlee.

"Sparks were coming from his wheel and this drew the attention of the police. It looked as though part of the exhaust had snapped off and was dragging behind the car.

"Officers pulled over the car and the defendant was dressed in a Halloween-style costume. He said he had been to a party."

The court heard that a police national computer check revealed Abraham, 39, of Thorntree Gill, Peterlee, was a banned driver.

A roadside breath test found he had 69 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Mrs Jones said during police interview Abraham confirmed he had been to a Halloween party and had drank a lager and two bacardi and cokes.

Abraham was last banned from driving on July 25 under the totting-up procedure and the ban expires in 2010. His previous disqualification was imposed in October 2004.

He admitted driving while disqualified, driving with excess alcohol and driving without insurance on October 31.

James Palmer, mitigating, said Abraham, who is registered disabled with chronic arthritis, was not driving erratically, and, when asked what why he did it, he said he was an "idiot".

"He had been somewhat pressurised into going to the Halloween party by friends because he never goes out much because of the illness he suffers."

Mr Palmer asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared before sentencing.

Ian Ferguson, chairman of the magistrates' bench, told Abraham: "You appear to have a flagrant disregard for court orders."

Abraham will return to court for sentencing on Wednesday, December 3, and was granted unconditional bail until then.